Losing a beloved animal is a sure way to rip a hole in your heart. It's unlikely for said heart to be ever be the same again, but finding a new furry friend to love can do a fine job of patching it up.
In a raid following the attacks at the Bataclan theater, France lost one of its service dogs, Diesel. As a bomb-sniffing dog, Diesel was the first to enter an apartment in Saint-Denis to assess the threat and was unfortunately caught in the blast as one of the targets detonated a suicide bomb. No other officers were killed in the attack but several had sustained injuries during the siege, in which two suspects were killed while seven were arrested.
The French National Police took to Twitter shortly to announce Diesel's death, saying she was indispensable to the operation. For her faithful service, Diesel is being hailed a hero, receiving a flood of tributes on social media with the hashtag #JeSuisChien.
Russia is joining in paying tribute to Diesel and being one with France in standing up against terrorism by sending the French a puppy. Elena Alekseeva of the Ministry of Internal Affairs posted on her Instagram account a picture of the pup, called Dobrynia named after a Russian hero who is the embodiment selfless assistance, valor, goodness and strength.
Along with Dobrynia's photo, Alekseeva also posted a letter from Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Russia's Minister of Internal Affairs, to Bernard Kaznevu, France's Minister of Internal Affairs.
"I assure you of the readiness of further cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism," said the letter, after translation.
Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs also posted an update about Dobrynia on its official Twitter account, sharing the photos that Alekseeva posted on her Instagram.
Ce chien sera remis à la France en temoignage de la solidarité #Paris #JeSuisParis #ParisAttacks #police #news pic.twitter.com/z1rNGD5Qdb
— Сайт МВД России (@mvd_official) November 20, 2015
Dobrynia has some big shoes to fill but, with the name of a hero and training from Diesel's old handlers, the pup will surely help in ensuring France remains steadfast in the fight against terrorism.
There is no word yet on when the hero-named pup will be arriving in France but it shouldn't be too long before the Dobrynia joins the ranks of France's law enforcement.
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